Metrobus safety inspections concluding; buses returning to service

I am pleased to report that the safety inspections involving 164 Metrobuses manufactured by New Flyer is nearing its conclusion and the buses will soon resume passenger service.

By way of background, on March 28, Metro removed from service 164 buses for safety checks following two incidents where the bus stalled unexpectedly at low speed. The 164 buses – representing about 10 percent of Metro’s fleet -- were manufactured by New Flyer in 2015 and 2016 and operate on compressed natural gas.

Experts from New Flyer and Metro conducted a thorough investigation in an effort to identify a root cause for the engine stalls. While investigators were unable to define a specific cause, New Flyer made recommendations to reduce the probability of a similar incident occurring again. For example, Metro has increased the “low idle” engine speed on the 164 buses from 700RPM previously to 800RPM. While both settings fall within the manufacturer’s authorized range, New Flyer believes the higher RPM will prevent engine stalls in the future.

Over the past 10 days, Metro conducted test runs using buses equipped with special monitoring equipment in real-world conditions (without passengers). The test runs were successful, with no further problems identified. In addition, New Flyer has certified that they are confident that the changes to engine parameters will prevent further unexpected engine stalling, and that the buses are safe for passenger service.

Based on the test results and New Flyer’s certification, Metro will begin returning the fleet of 164 buses to passenger service on Monday, April 23. We truly appreciate your understanding as we have worked to ensure that your Metrobus fleet is operating as safely as possible, and I extend my apologies for any inconvenience or delay you may have experienced as a result of the actions we have taken over the past several weeks.